LED Fixture Ratings Explained and Luminaire Type Introduction
, by Kelly Yao, 2 min reading time
What is a light fixture?
A light fixture is an electrical lighting that provides illumination to the environment. Today, LED light fixtures are popular and have energy efficiency, durability, versatility, long lifetime, modern, safety, and reduced carbon footprint.
Types of Luminaires
It is lighting used for commercial spaces such as offices, hospitals, and stores. The lighting in a commercial can draw attention to products, guide customers' wayfinding, and improve work efficiency.
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Common Commercial Light Types:
- Recessed Lighting
- High Bay Fixture
- Ceiling Light
- Troffer Lights
- Wall Pack Lights
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Residential Light Fixtures Fixtures
Residential lighting is designed to illuminate rooms and provide visual comfort.
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Common Residential Light Types:
- Downlight
- Flush Mount
- Wall Sconces
- Outdoor Lights
What to rate the LED light fixture?
The most common ratings of LED fixtures are Lumens, Watts, Kelvin, and CRI.
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What do lumens mean?
Lumens measure the amount of brightness from the lighting fixture. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the lighting.The lower the number of lumens, the darkness the lighting.
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What is watts lighting?
Watte is used to measure how much energy the light fixture uses. The higher the wattage, the more power it uses.The lower the wattage, the less power it uses.
Note:
Many people have the wrong cognition that the higher the wattage, the brighter the lamp.
For example, when the light levels are consistent, a 6.5-watt LED lamp consumes about the same amount of power as a 50W halogen bulb.
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What is the kelvin(k)?
The kelvin measures the color temperature and describes the light appearance provided by fixtures. The higher the Kelvin rating, the cooler the light will be. The lower the Kelvin rating, the warmer the light will be.
- 2000K and Under 2000K: the lighting color is yellowish, close to candlelight.
- 2000K-3000K: the lighting color is warm with hints of yellow, close to natural white.
- 3000K-4000K: the lighting color is close to cool white light.
- 4000K-5000K: the lighting color is bright blue is cool close to daylight
- 5000K and above 5000K: the lighting color is cold.
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What does CRI mean in lighting?
CRI measures the difference in color rendering of things under an artificial light source compared with sunlight. Generally, the higher the CRI, the better the color rendering capacity. A CRI below 80 is considered poor.
These are important reference signs for how to choose lamps and lanterns. However, many other factors affect the selection of fixtures.